Pericallis plant named ‘Ochkeipu’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Pericallis  plant named ‘Ochkeipu’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; and daisy-type inflorescences with purple-colored ray and disc florets.

Botanical designation: Pericallis cruenta.

Cultivar denomination: ‘OCHKEIPU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pericallis plant, botanically known as Pericallis cruenta and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Ochkeipu’.

The new Pericallis plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gose City, Nara, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Pericallis plants with attractive purple-colored flowers.

The new Pericallis plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2006 in Gose City, Nara, Japan of a proprietary selection of Pericallis cruenta identified as code number FNP8-005, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Pericallis cruenta identified as code number FC5-002, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Pericallis plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gose City, Nara, Japan in June, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Pericallis plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gose City, Nara, Japan since June, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Pericallis plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Pericallis have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Ochkeipu’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Ochkeipu’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Pericallis plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with purple-colored ray and disc         florets.

Plants of the new Pericallis differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Pericallis are more compact than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Pericallis differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have blue-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Pericallis can be compared to plants of Senecio cruentus×Pericallis heritieri ‘Sunsenere’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,162. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gose City, Nara, Japan, plants of the new Pericallis differed from plants of ‘Sunsenere’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Pericallis were more compact than plants of         ‘Sunsenere’.     -   2. Plants of the new Pericallis had smaller leaves than plants         of ‘Sunsenere’.     -   3. Plants of the new Pericallis had smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘Sunsenere’.     -   4. Plants of the new Pericallis and ‘Sunsenere’ differed         slightly in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Pericallis plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Pericallis plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Ochkeipu’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under environmental conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Pericallis production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were 20 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Fourth Edition, 1995, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pericallis cruenta ‘Ochkeipu’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Pericallis             cruenta. identified as code number FNP8-005, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Pericallis             cruenta identified as code number FC5-002, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and mounded plant             habit; daisy-type inflorescences positioned above the foliar             plane; freely branching habit with about nine to eleven             lateral branches developing per plant; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 22 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 2.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Slightly pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 4.7 cm. Width: About 6 cm. Shape: Palmate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cordate. Margin: Palmately lobed; crenate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves,             upper surface: Close to 146A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147D. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 146A; venation, close to 144B. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 144B. Petioles: Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: Close to 145A. Color, lower surface: Close to             145B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescences with oblong-shaped ray             florets; inflorescences arising from upper leaf axils and             positioned above the foliar plane; disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences face             mostly upright; freely flowering habit with about 112             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—In Japan, plants of the new             Pericallis flower continuously during the spring; plants             begin flowering about six weeks after planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about one week             on the plant; inflorescences not persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.6 mm. Diameter: About             0.7 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 144A and 80A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.3 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle height:             About 6.3 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 2 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Oblong. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width:             About 5.2 mm. Apex: Rounded. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number             of ray florets per inflorescence: About 13 arranged in a             single whorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             78A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 77B. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 78B and 80C; color becoming             closer to 77B with development. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 81C and 1C; color becoming closer to 81C with             development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc             floret per inflorescence: About 93. Color, immature and             mature: Apex: Close to 77A. Mid-section: Close to 145D.             Base: Close to 149C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm.             Shape: Ensiform. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 144A to 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 6 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly             upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 0.5 mm. Filament color: Close             to 144B. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Rounded.             Anther color: Close to 81A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 14A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc             florets. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: Close to 145C. Stigma shape: Decurrent.             Stigma color: Close to 79C. Ovary color: Close to 150D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Pericallis. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Pericallis have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Pericallis. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Pericallis have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Pericallis plant named ‘Ochkeipu’ as illustrated and described. 